The Port of Rotterdam Authority in the Netherlands has launched the first version of its app, Pronto, in order to optimise the facility’s shipping operations.

Pronto is designed to enable the ships visiting the port to reduce their waiting time by an average of 20%. The port is estimated to receive around 30,000 vessels annually.

It offers a joint platform to the shipping companies, agents, terminal operators and other service providers to share information associated with their port calls.

The involved parties can either use the Pronto dashboard or input the data directly into their own systems via API interfaces.

Once a vessel’s estimated time of arrival (ETA) becomes known, it is designated its own timeline within Pronto. This timeline features every event right from the vessel’s arrival and will stay in the port until departure.

Pronto is also set to allow the port to more effectively use its terminals’ capacity, as well as precisely plan and coordinate various vessel services, such as bunkering, servicing and maintenance and provisioning.

Port of Rotterdam Authority CFO Paul Smits said: “Pronto is based on international standards and offers shipping companies, agents, service providers and operators a joint platform for the exchange of port call-related information.

“This yields concrete benefits for all parties involved. The uniform mutual exchange of standardised data allows port calls to be planned more effectively and efficiently and rounded off in a shorter period of time.”

Smits further noted that Pronto was tested over the past year as part of the apps’ development phase.

Global oil and gas company Shell was among the parties that took part in the pilot project involving the development of Pronto last year.